


Tardis FC

by songfordecem



Series: Tardis FC [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-08
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songfordecem/pseuds/songfordecem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A struggling Tardis FC and its manager, the Doctor, are in serious need of a conditioning coach. A young Rose Tyler is brought on just as the preseason begins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t much of a training ground. Two fields, the main building with an office, conference room, small weight room, with the dressing room and showers in the lower level. All of which was squished between a track and an estate on as much grass as London could offer. A far cry from what he grew up in, but undoubtedly his.

The Doctor made his initial rounds of the grounds that morning, picking up rubbish that had blown in, checking the nets, and the pitch itself, for any holes that needed fixing. It was warm and muggy from the rain the night before and the dew stretched from fence to fence. His black lo-top trainers were soaked through by the time he reached the first post and his nearly-navy blue training top clung to his thin frame. Oh yes, it felt like the start of preseason training.

He trusted that his groundskeeper, Jack, took care of everything the day before.Grounds Manager, he corrected himself. Jack would constantly remind him. In truth, the title doesn’t give him enough credit. They’ve got an extremely small staff piloting this club and Jack is more often than not, a Jack-of-all-trades. The Doctor has tried that line many times only to be met with a sarcastic grin and Jack forming a “W” at him. Well,  _he_  thought it was clever.

He’d gone in to make his last trip for equipment when he ran into Donna.

“Hey, you,” she smiled at him, satchel still slung on her shoulder. She must’ve just gotten in.

“Donna,” he glanced at his watch. “You’re here early.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve got a couple new players this season, contracts and all that. Someone’s gotta keep at least the business side of things organized.”

“I’d be lost without you,” he said with a smile, picking up a pack of cones and agility hurdles.

“Don’t you know it, Time Boy! Oh, and enjoy the heat today, I’ll be upstairs with the air conditioning,” she said over her shoulder.

“Yep.” he laughed. “Thanks for that Donna.”

The Doctor headed up the steps onto the grounds. He had 17 minutes until his players were scheduled to arrive and be on the field ready to go.

&&

The morning session started off well. He gave his usual speech, handed out kit, warmed them up, and started them out with some easy drills to get a feel for the new guys. All of this flowed easily. It wasn’t always smooth, but he’d started so many seasons it was like autopilot sometimes. However, when the morning started to go downhill, was when he ran them through the initial fitness test. It was slightly horrifying.

He had expected low numbers, especially with the new lads, but even his returners had scored poorly. Each season has a big hurdle and he guessed fitness was going to be it this season. At least it wasn’t the season with the goalkeepers that went a little too hard at the pub and kept injuring themselves. Fitness he can manage, stupidity, not so much. He’d find a way to help these guys, somehow.

The Doctor decided to start the after-lunch session easy and with some crossing drills. He’d have to pour over fitness plans and the results of the test that night and figure out what the plan for the next 6 weeks will be. For now, simple drills would do just fine.

He’d just called for the players to rotate when he saw someone, a woman, running on the track nearby. Loads of people used that track but there was something different about her. She wasn’t just jogging laps, but running, sprinting. She’d sprint 400m only to jog the next. But while she looked focused, she didn’t looked pained. She looked cathartic…and stunning.

The Doctor kept stealing glances at her the rest of the afternoon session. She’d started on a cool down lap when she properly caught him staring at her, she gave him a gentle smile as the Doctor got a sudden thwack on the head.

Shouts of “Doctor, are you okay? Sir?” echoed behind him, which when he lifted his hand to say he was alright, turned into “ooooooooh”s.

He looked up to see her, laughing as she ran, trying to cover her mouth to be polite. He was undoubtedly beat red and not from the ball hitting his head.

“Do you fancy her, sir?” He was asked as he returned to their session.

“Oi, watch it, Mitchell,” he warned. The over-eager boy with black hair, suddenly took less humor from the situation.

“All right showers. The lot of you.”

The boys ran off towards the main building, but the Doctor ducked around the side of the fence, running to catch up with the woman starting to pack up her things.

“You alright, mate?” she asked, which a tongue-touched smile that stopped his own from working.

“Ehm…yeah. Yep, right as rain! Hard head, my head. Least it is now. Didn’t used to be. Anyways I’m the Doctor,” he said holding out his hand.

“Just the Doctor?” she asked.

“Yep!” he said popping the ‘p’ and wiggling his fingers.

She took his hand in hers. “I’m Rose. Rose Tyler.”

“Hello, Rose Tyler,” he said, already loving the way the name rolled around his mouth.

“So…” she said shouldering her bag.

“Right,” he laughed, “sorry. I was wondering if you would want to be Tardis FC’s new fitness coach.”

Rose shook her head in disbelief. “What?”

“Well, as you might’ve seen, my Tardis has a bit of a fitness issue this season. It’s wheezing and groaning and you seem to know what you’re doing. I could use the help. If you want.”

Rose just sort of stood there, still trying to process what the Doctor was saying, and also a bit enamored by the way he kept playing with his damp brown hair. Ruffling it and making sections stick out at odd angles.

“How do  _you_  know I know what I’m doing?” she said finally.

He smiled. “Not many people go out and run a conditioning regimen like that. Most just pop their headphones in and do a couple laps. Plus you had great form. That takes time to make look that easy. Doesn’t happen overnight.”

Now it was her time to smile. “Thanks.”

“Just think about it. If you are interested in the job, meet me here Saturday morning, 10AM. It’s an off-day for the lads, so I’ve got the day. I’ll take you through our usual fitness test, and if you feel like you still want the job, the club executive, and my sister, Donna, will have the paperwork all set for you.”

“Yeah?” she smiled.

“Yep!” he said, bouncing on is soggy trainers, hands in his training trouser pockets.

“I will think about it, ta.”

“It was very nice to meet you, Rose Tyler. Hope to see you soon.”

He handed her his card and dashed back towards the main building with a wave.

Rose turned the card in her fingers before checking her watch.

“Shit”, she muttered. She had a half hour before her shift at Henrik’s started.


	2. Chapter 2

Her shift at Henrik’s went by faster than usual. Folding shirts, straightening up displays, and covering the register for breaks wasn’t that bad when your mind was racing a-mile-a-minute. While she wished she had a couple more of those minutes in the shower and a bit more time to have something more substantial than beans on toast, none of it seemed to matter much. She was in quite the happy mood, if not a bit distracted.

She wondered how to tell her mum as she tidied up the dressing room. How the hell was Jackie Tyler going to react? She loved her mum. She really did, and as much as her 19 year-old self didn’t want to admit it, she had solid points at times. Rose could hear her voice now.  _‘You’re going to run off to meet a man you barely even know in the park? Rose Marion Tyler have you lost your mind?’_

Sure, she knew him. Not incredibly well, but everyone did in some way, even if by rumor. He was the Doctor, manager of Tardis FC. It wasn’t a high level club by any means, and he was certainly not famous, but growing up on the Powell estate, all the lads wanted to play for Tardis. The team never went higher than League Two but some of it’s players even went on to Championship teams.

That’s all Mickey ever talked about, that club. Going to the games and practicing to hopefully make it on the youth team. He never did. Mickey, never had quite enough positional awareness. Oh, he was fast and had a hell of a shot, but he never quite knew where to run to, always out of position by a couple of meters in key plays.

“Excuse me, miss?” She heard a voice call from behind her.

Rose flinched, snapping back to the real world.

“Is this register open?”

Rose turned, straightening out her employee shirt anxiously, and forcing a smile through her embarrassment. Getting caught daydreaming by your boss is one thing, but by a customer is even more awkward. A boss will just yell at you. You still have to help the customer.

“Yes. I’m sorry. Yes, it’s open,” she stammered. “How may I help you?”

&&

Rose finished off her shift, trying to put that embarrassing moment behind her, and headed towards home. She stopped off at the local chippy, making sure to grab one for her mum. She’d decided that she was going to do it. She was going to take the leap, and if Saturday went well, she’d be happy to sign that day.

She tried to resist snacking on the delectable fried potatoes on the way home, but by the time she got up the stairs to their flat, her’s were half-gone. She struggled to grab her key, leaning against the door trying not to drop the chips, when the door opened, Rose catching herself before she fell.

“There you are!” Jackie chimed.

“Hiya, mum!” she smiled, Jackie pulling her into a hug, Rose careful not to drop anything. “I brought chips!”

Jackie gave her a kiss on the cheek before plucking one and taking the bag. “Ta, love. How’d your day go?” she asked, sitting down.

“I met the Doctor,” Rose said plainly, burrowing down into the stuffed chair.

Jackie paused.

“The Doctor? The one who runs that football club over there?” she said, waving her hand about. “What’d he want?”

Rose had finished her chips and propped her head up on the arm rest. “He saw me doing my running and asked if I wanted to be Tardis FC’s new fitness specialist. He said if I was interested to meet him on Saturday and if I’m up to the challenge, I could sign the papers that day.” Rose paused. “And I decided I’m gonna do it.”

Rose bit her lip as she waited for her mother’s response, unable to get a read on whether this was going to turn into a shouting match or not.

“How the hell have you made a decision like that so quickly? He never knew you existed until today and he’s already offering you a job? You’ve barely had time to think about it.”

“Mum!” Rose yelped. “I’ve thought about it all day. I’ve felt stuck here for a long time. Since I left school, I’ve had the same boring job with no A-levels, no uni, and what feels like no future.”

“What’s wrong with working in a shop?” Jackie asked, coldly.

“There’s nothing wrong. That’s not what I meant. I just want to try something new, follow something that makes me happy.” Rose protested. “ _This_ could be my future mum.  _This_  could be my shot to do something I love with my life, have a bit of adventure.”

Jackie put her chips down on the coffee table, letting out a sigh.

“I know sweetheart. I know. I know you need to fly the nest at some point. Can’t stay here forever. I just want you to be safe and happy. If this is what you want, and it’ll make you happy, then I’ll support it so long as you promise to be safe. I don’t want to turn on the telly to find a report about a missing shop girl, yeah?”

Rose stands to give her mum a hug, Jackie pulling her tightly in her arms.

“I promise, mum. Love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. I just don’t want to see you get your hopes up only to get hurt, that’s all.”

&&

The rest of the week either dragged on or flew by, there was no middle ground. Training sessions kept him busy, but his mind was on Saturday.

The Doctor had told Donna later on Monday about Rose and his offer. She told him he was bloody insane, but he’d had a gut instinct that was right more often than not. Donna just smiled and told him that if he was sure, and he assured her he was, she’d draw up the paperwork and be there Saturday in case she accepted.

He could be completely daft at times, but she admitted he seemed honest about this, not like the time he insisted on getting the team sponsored by bananas. Not a company of banana suppliers, mind you, but the fruit itself. He even made mock-ups of the uniforms.

Saturday morning was here and now all he had to do was wait, and hoped she’d taken his offer seriously and decided to show up.

The Doctor was tightening his trainers on the stands by the track, off-white today, when he heard someone approach.

It was Rose, clad in her running gear, ready to go. They had both apparently opted for shorts given the warm weather spell. Hers were black with a pink trim and his were dark navy sporting the Tardis FC crest, same as his long-sleeve top.

He stood to greet her, practically beaming. “You came!”

Rose returned the smile. “Guess so.” Scratching beneath her messy bun.

“You ready to get started?” he asked.

Rose kept looking at his trainers. Yes, they were trainers, but definitely not designed for running. No support at all. Rose wondered how he didn’t have leg issues. Speaking of which, she couldn’t help catching a glimpse of said legs in question before looking up.

“Do you actually run in those? They don’t look like they offer much support.”

“Oi! These…these are fine trainers thank you very much,” he assured her as she laughed. “Suits me just fine and always dependable. Anyways, back to the day at hand, I am very glad you showed up.”

“Rose Tyler, reporting for duty,” she said with a mock-salute.

“Well, Rose Tyler,” he said taking her by the hand. “Run!”


	3. Chapter 3

Just like that, they were off.

It took Rose ‘till the 100m mark to regain her balance and get her footing, hand still in his as they rounded the track. She immediately saw a handful of errors in his stride. Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. Rose most definitely stared at his bum, first. Rose Tyler was many things but being dishonest with herself was not one of them. He had a lovely bum and she was currently being dragged behind it. Not really her fault.

She decided 120m was long enough to follow, time to show him what she’d got.

Rose picked up her pace eventually pulling even and then in front of the Doctor. He let go of her hand focusing on trying to keep up with her ever-increasing pace.

“You really  _are_  fast,” he panted, Rose a few lengths in front of him.

“Just wait,” she grinned, switching over to the outermost lane. “Go on. See if you can catch up.”

As they hit the 200m mark the Doctor’s focus shifted, legs pumping down the inside lane. He ran as hard as he could around the corner, but as he neared the straightaway he saw Rose fly past him.

“Show off,” he shouted after her.

Rose turned to run backwards in front of him, occasionally checking over her shoulder for others. “I could slow-down if you want.”

_Oh, she was a cheeky one this Rose Tyler._

“Oi! No, I want to see how fast you can run a 2K,” he said, pressing a button on his watch.

“Starting…now!” he shouted as she started a new lap.

Rose took off with the Doctor close behind once she found her pace. When they finished they took their time with their stretching, now that they were thoroughly warmed up, before heading over to the training ground. They kept up the pace, flying through different exercises and alternating between shuttle runs, fartleks, discussions about the benefits of static and dynamic exercises, and going over pros and cons of different plyometric exercises.

It was getting close to noon and the Doctor had just set up their last plyo exercise they were going to try, lateral jumps over a foot-high rope followed by mini hurdles.

“Ladies first,” he smiled with a wave of his hand, his fringe plastered against his sweaty brow.

Rose shook her head with a chuckle, starting off slow as she cleared the first jump, slowly picking up the pace between jumps. She’d nearly made it to the end when the rope catches her and Rose and the Doctor are on their backs in the grass in a fit of laughter.

“What’d you do?” she laughed, looking at the striped rope wrapped around his trainers.

“I tripped?” he smiled.

The Doctor groaned as he untangled his feet, still on his back refusing to sit up and use his hands. “I guess these old legs aren’t what they used to be.”

“You didn’t do  _that_ bad,” Rose said turning onto her side, propping her head up. She couldn’t help but giggle as the Doctor continued to struggle. “You can use your hands, you know.”

He scoffed indignantly. “I’ll have you know, Rose Tyler, that there is an entire culture where your status is determined by how many things you can do without your hands. Ah! There we go!”

The Doctor kicked the rest of the rope away and tucked his hands behind his head, staring up at a rare partly cloudy sky, chest rising and falling beneath his dark blue jersey. “Much better.”

Rose plucked a few blades of grass and twirled them between her fingers. There was something odd about it though. Not the color, but the smell it seemed. “Is this apple… grass?”

“Apple grass,” the Doctor chuckled.

“Why’d you have apple grass?”

“Jack,” he said turning his head to look at her, drawing out the name.

“What?”

“Jack, our ‘Grounds Manager,’” he replied. “He puts this apple extract into the seed mix before the preseason. It only last about a month or so. He says he does it for the lads.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because they spend most of the preseason trying to catch their breath, face-down in the grass. At least it’ll smell nice for them,” he smiled.

“Well,” Rose laughed, “he seems very considerate, this Jack.”

“While I love apple grass, I’ve got one last challenge for you Miss Tyler,” he said, kicking his legs exaggeratingly to rock up onto his feet. He offered out his hand, wiggling his fingers. “Come on. Up you get.”

“Alright,” she said, taking his hand.

“Obstacle challenge. You know that chippy a couple blocks over from the Powell Estate?”

“Yep, I might be familiar,” she smiled.

“Last one there pays!” And with that, he took off, booking it out of the training ground.

“Oi! That’s cheating, mister!”

&&

They sprinted down the street, ducking and weaving between very confused people. His long legs definitely gave him an advantage, even if she was faster in the flats, she wasn’t as used to running through crowds. She followed close behind until they approached Rose’s neighborhood.

This was her turf now. She knew these streets inside and out and knew exactly the fastest way to the chippy. Rose ducked into a side street, the Doctor none-the-wiser. She lept over a few stray boxes and turned onto a diagonal ally, the chippy visible right at the end. By her guesses she should have a good 5 seconds on him if he kept his pace.

Rose reached the chippy, tagging the wall to the right of the door, panting with her hands on her knees. She looked up a second later to see the Doctor, running at breakneck speed, his thin frame moving as fast as it could, hand slapping the side opposite hers.

“Good effort, mate,” she laughed.

“Not bad, Tyler. Not bad,” he said panting along with her.

“Chips?” she asked, thumbing towards the inside.

“Yeah. Let’s,” he said following her inside, grimacing as he clutched his hamstring.

Rose approached the counter and ordered them two baskets of chips and four waters. “Alright, Doctor, time to pay up,” she smiled that tongue-touched smile, the one that made his heart beat in double time, every time. She leaned back against the counter as she waited for him to cough up the quid.

The Doctor worriedly patted his top and shorts, only serving to press the fabric against his skin. “I don’t have any money on me.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Oh, Doctor, you are such a bloke. It’s on me then.”

She pulls a few folded-up notes from the mesh pocket sewn into the waistband.

“Hmmm,” she said, handing them to the clerk and taking the chips and waters. “Who would’ve thought girls shorts would be more useful than blokes.”

That got a chuckle out of the Doctor who was clearly a bit embarrassed as they found a booth. Rose reached for the salt and vinegar when they sat, generously applying both to her basket.

“Oi!” he yelped, “you’re ruining the integrity of the chip.”

“These are gorgeous! You just don’t know what you’re talking about,” she smiled, popping one in her mouth. “All the better because I beat you in your own race.”

“Well, done,” he grinned back, popping a chip as well. “Very impressive.”

“You alright?” she asked. “I saw you limp a wee bit when we walked in.”

“Yeah,” he said, ruffling his hair, the drying sweat making it stick up at odd angles, making Rose smile. “Sometimes I feel like I’m nine-hundred years old, other times I feel like I’m ten.”

“So you’ve been at football long?” she asked. “I mean, everyone ‘round here knows about Tardis FC. It’s all any of the kids talk about. But it’s not been roundthat long has it?”

The Doctor stabbed a few more chips before replying.

“A long, long time ago, I used to play for Gallifrey FC, came up through the Academy actually, since age 8. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but it was a big club for it’s time. Almost too big. Its President Rassilon was corrupt through and through. Sent the team into bankruptcy and ‘accidentally’ burned down the training ground.

“Most that remained either retired young, simply wanting a more normal, stable life, or started their own clubs like me.”

Rose tried to take it all in. She remembered now that she’d seen some Gallifrey FC scarves amongst a few of her dad’s things that Jackie kept. Never followed too much of professional footy or the club histories or who was being sold where. She prefered actually playing the sport and since leaving school and starting work, unfortunately didn’t have much time for it.

“That must’ve been hard, suddenly losing your team like that and seeing it end that way,” she mustered.

“Well,” he said, “I’m happy now, I think. I get to play footy and pass it on to others, hopefully in a better environment than I had to grow up in.”

“So is it just you?” she asked, crumpling up the wax paper and starting on her second water. “Over at Tardis?”

“Yup,” he said popping the ‘p’. “Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s Jack who takes care of the grounds and equipment. Don’t ask him for more balls. Just…just don’t. Doesn’t matter what living creature says it, that man is Captain Innuendo.”

Rose nearly snorted out her water. “Noted.”

“There’s Donna, my sister, who is the executive of the club, basically making sure the old girl doesn’t spiral out of control and that everything legal is in order, press too. And then me,” he said, taking a swig of his own water.

“That’s a small staff. I can’t believe only three people run the Tardis.”

“Well,” he smiled, “hopefully it will be four. Team Tardis. One of a kind. All the better with Rose Tyler, fitness specialist extraordinaire.”

Rose paused, biting her lip, trying to hold back a smile.

“If you want. Only if you want.”

She beamed back at him. “I’m in.”


	4. Chapter 4

It was a walk back this time. Playful shoves and pushes, hands brushing every now and then, but not holding. She kept reminding herself that she had only met this man a few days ago. They chatted and laughed the whole way back. She had banter to match his, and that was saying something considering the gob on that man.

Rose nearly collapsed laughing when he was so invested in his story about the various types of chips and their origins, his feet started to skim rather than step, and his toe catched on a slightly raised sidewalk slab and sent him nearly tumbling and a boy asking “‘ight mate?” as his group walked by.

The Doctor was mortified and Rose couldn’t stop laughing, propping herself up with a nearby light post.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she waved him off, trying to compose herself, but still eking out a few laughs.

His face was precious though. It was like a little boy who just lost a game due to ‘unfair rules,’ just this sense of an oncoming sulk.

“Awww,” she said, holding out her hand. “Come on, you.”

He took her hand with a small smile, pulling her into his side, Rose playfully leaning against his shoulder as they started to walk. He didn’t pull away and neither did she.

They’d made it a block before he heard her chuckle.

“Oi! Not funny. Dangerous, these streets of London.”

She laughed, their hands swinging gently with their pace. “Funny and just ‘cause you were too busy talking ‘bout chips.”

“Can’t blame a bloke,” he grinned down at her. “Those chips were amazing. Top banana!”

&&

They finally made it back to the main building, the Tardis FC logo on frosted glass doors at the front entrance. Rose paused as the Doctor reached for the handle.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just…never been inside a place like this before especially since most of the boys I grew up with dreamed of getting the chance to see it”

The Doctor laughed.

“Don’t get your hopes up. She’s got a few dings and could use some new paint here or there and probably a quieter A/C unit, but she run’s alright. Old girl’s never let me down. Ready?” he asked, nodding towards the door.

“Yeah.”

The lobby definitely paid tribute to the club’s history, but was modest at the same time, at least in terms of visible silverware. The doors opened to a short hallway. Various pictures of the Doctor and all the different teams that passed through these halls, hung on the walls. A simple modern color scheme of Tardis Blue and Gold, livened up the would-be-boring white walls.

The building was most definitely rectangular on the outside but once down the initial hallway, it opened up to a round concourse of sorts. A giant stone pillar ran up the middle with blue Tardis FC flags hanging on it. A circular railing with glass panels surrounded the base, keeping visitors from walking or reaching the odd patch of grass that sat beneath the obelisk.

There was also an upper loft level that opened up to the main area, a curved staircase at either side that led to a walkway with a couple of door. Signs were up at every corner reading “main offices ->”, “<\- dressing room,” and the like. The whole room seemed to hum, but then Rose remembered the old A/C unit and it made a bit more sense.

The Doctor started to head up the left staircase when he noticed Rose wasn’t with him.

“Doctor?”

“Mmm?” he said, stepping down to the floor and shoving his hands into his pockets, making his way over to her.

“What’s this piece of grass doing in the middle of the lobby? Seems a bit odd, but it must mean something. Otherwise you wouldn’t have a rail around it.”

“You are brilliant, Rose Tyler,” the Doctor beamed. “That is Gallifrey FC. Well, what’s left of it.”

“I thought you said the grounds burned,” she said, looking up at him.

“Almost all of it. A small section of the pitch was unharmed. By that point we knew something major was going to happen, we just didn’t know when or exactly what. I had already decided to start my own club by the time Rassilon,” the name rolled off his tongue like bile, “burnt the place, so I saved the part I could and had it moved here.”

“It must mean a lot to you then. Your old home, I mean.”

The Doctor shrugged, staring down at the patch of grass before looking up at one of the flags, hanging against the stone.

“I can’t go back. Nothing to really go back to, but at least there’s a place to move forward towards.”

“Now!” he shouted, his voice echoing in the open space, breaking the somewhat somber mood. “What say you, Rose Tyler? Ready to join Team Tardis?”

&&

The paperwork didn’t take as long as Rose thought. Even though this was all happening so fast she had thought enough beforehand to make sure her contract was a fair one from pay to benefits. She needn’t have worried though because Donna, as Rose quickly found out, was as funny as she was amazing at her job.

They agreed on a pre-season contract to start with the option to extend once the season properly began. Rose would be able to get to know the club and get a feel for the job. Donna even made it clear in the paperwork that the club would guarantee an extension, but the choice to take it would be solely Rose’s.

She would get full benefits and way more money than she was making at Henrik’s. It definitely demanded more hours, but not ones she minded giving, especially if it meant more time with the Doctor, who happened to be playing with his phone the entire meeting, his trainers propped up on the wood.

His fingers tapped furiously at the phone before he grunted and tossed it on the table, crossing his legs and folding his arms.

Rose spoke first. “You alright?”

“Is it that game again?” Donna asked.

“I can’t get lower than bloody 8.199 seconds.”

Both women shook their heads with a sigh.

“Is he always like this?” Rose asked.

“Eh, not all the time,” Donna smiled, “just when he loses.”

“Lovely. Can’t wait,” she laughed.

And with two signatures and a handful of initials, Rose Tyler became Rose Tyler, Tardis FC's Fitness Coach.


	5. Chapter 5

There seemed to be no shortage of things to do when you worked with the Doctor. As soon as Donna had filed the paperwork, the Doctor was bouncing out of the office to the walkway. His hands curled around the door frame as he poked his head around the corner. Rose was still sitting in her chair, face scrunched in confusion.

“You coming, Rose Tyler?” he said, eyebrows waggling, and a nod towards the right staircase.

Before Rose had gotten to her feet, the Doctor had already made it to the top of the stairs, hopping on the banister and sliding down like a little kid.

“Come on, Rose Tyler,” he shouted up, rocking on the balls of his feet. “Down you come.”

Rose glanced down at the metal railing.

“You are seriously not expecting me to slide down on that! I’m not gonna kill myself on my first day. That’d be one hell of a short career.”

“Aww come on,” he whined. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

Rose paused, laying a hand on the rail.  _Screw it._

Rose jumped up on the banister, thankfully finding her balance quickly as she slid around it’s gradual curve with a yelp, stumbling into the Doctor as she reached the bottom.

He had grabbed her waist when he moved to catch her and Rose’s hands sought purchase on his shoulders. They only realized how close their bodies were when they’d stopped laughing. They paused for a minute as their laughter reduced to a few chuckles, searching the other for any sign of awkwardness or them pulling back, but nothing was there.

“You alright?” he asked, smiling, his mouth mere inches from her own.

“Haven’t done that in years,” she sighed. “Forgot how fun it is.”

“Adventure’s always fun. Or dangerous. Or sometimes both. Usually both.”

Rose laughed. “Well that was a perfect example then.”

“So, Rose Tyler,” the Doctor began, stepping back and offering his hand with a bow, slipping into a very posh accent “care to accompany me on a tour of Tardis FC?”

“Why I would love nothing more, good sir,” she replied in turn, taking his hand. “Sir Doctor.”

“Dame Rose,” he beamed.

And the two of them took of, hand in hand down the hall.

&& 

They stopped by the equipment room to get Rose her staff kit. The Doctor apologized for the lack of women’s sizes. Donna never wore a club top often, but she always got a home jersey every year that they just special ordered.

The Doctor sat at a computer typing into a program as Rose went to the different cubbies perusing the various kit types and sizes available. She selected shirts and shorts and trousers and popped over to the makeshift dressing room, which consisted only of a rounded curtain, to try somethings on.

She soon found the sizes closest to her own and proceeded to assemble her kit.

“How many pieces do I need?” she asked.

The Doctor looked up from the table, spinning around in his chair to see her. He was picking at, what looked to be, vinyl sheet that had multiple white ‘RT’s on it.

“Take as much as you want, we’ve got plenty of kit. We train Monday through Friday, Saturdays are game days, and Sundays are off, generally. Really depends on how much laundry you want to do. As you can probably tell, it’s a bit do-it-yourself here, we don’t have an equipment manager that takes care of the clubs uniforms and practice kits. That usually falls to me on Friday night.”

“Alright,” she said thoughtfully, going over the maths in her head.

Rose began plucking various tops and bottoms off the shelves and collecting them into a semi-organized pile on the bench nearby.

“When you’re done, bring your kit over to me, we’ve got to put your name on it.”

Rose finished her shopping of sorts and brought the items over to the table the Doctor was standing at. Next to it was this waist-high press with a large hot metal plate.

“This is the heat press. We order the tops and bottoms and then just personalize everything ourselves when it gets in. Takes a bit, but is handy if someone needs a quick replacement,” the Doctor explained taking one of her tops and placing it on the board.

He grabbed the handle and pulled down until there was a click. “The first press is to preheat, the second is to actually apply the transfer.”

He grabbed an ‘RT’ off of the table and placed it below the collar and between the two embroidered logos. “Now you press again.”

The machine clicked and counted down from ten, the last four being beeps, before it popped up.

“And voilà,” he said peeling away the clear plastic, leaving behind the white letters, “you have an official Rose Tyler shirt.”

Rose pulled the shirt off the press and held it up to examine it. It really was official now. “Can I try the next one?”

“After you,” he smiled stepping out of the way.

It took them a little bit but they finally finished getting though her kit. Bodies moving around each other in some sort of awkward but fluid dance, switching roles again when it came to the shorts, working together.

Rose nearly freaked out when one of the tops started smoking. The Doctor just laughed and told her to not worry, it’s just what that specific dye does when heat like that is applied to it, and that he was waiting to see what her reaction to it would be. That earned him a swift slap on the arm. “That’s not funny. I thought I burnt an expensive top.”

Rose grabbed an outfit to change into as the Doctor put the rest into a kitbag as he waited. He had just finished folding everything and tossing in a pair of boots when he heard the curtain slide behind him.

“Whatcha think?” she asked.

Rose stood there in her new Tardis Blue kit, contrasting against her yellow blonde hair. The Doctor sat on the bench dumbfounded before a gentle smile crept across his face. “You’re official now, Rose Tyler. A proper member of Tardis FC.”

Rose smiled in return, already getting that sense of pride from wearing the badge.

&&

They finished the rest of the tour, from the locker rooms to the weight room to the various other offices in seemingly hidden spots in the layout of the building, and finally ended up in his office. It was actually right next to the main conference room where she had first signed the papers.

The main door off of the walkway opened to a smaller reception desk area of sorts, with two chairs in front of it, presumably for meetings with players. It was very tidy compared to what was behind the next door. That one led to the Doctor’s proper office, but what looked like across between a tech’s workstation and a writer’s desk with stacks of papers and binders mixed in with various mechanical items in different stages of repair.

It felt more like a studio flat, if Rose was honest. There was a little kitchenette, workspace, and private bathroom towards the back and a decent size couch, coffee table, and telly as you walked in.

“Welcome to my home away from home,” the Doctor said. “It’s not much but it’s comfortable enough for the long nights pouring over reports and plans. And napping. Napping is very important.”

Rose dropped her kit bag inside the door as the Doctor went to the kitchenette area.

“Please, have a seat,” he said. “I was gonna make some tea. Do you want any?”

“I‘d love a cuppa, thanks,” Rose replied, settling into the couch, examining the different objects on his wall.

There was mostly Tardis FC pictures and awards, with the occasional Gallifrey FC scarf or pennant. There was one that hung over the telly that made her smile. It was the Doctor, Donna, and another bloke as tall as the Doctor, but bigger with black hair, who she assumed was Jack, cutting a ribbon in front of the building. They looked incredibly happy.

“Here you go,” the Doctor said, interrupting her train of thought, holding out a cup to her.

“Ta,” she smiled, taking the cup and popping in a cube of sugar from the basket on the table.

The Doctor sat down on the opposite side of the couch, long enough for him to lay down on if he needed to, but small enough not to overwhelm the space.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Rose said, taking a sip of her tea. “Where’d you get the name Tardis?”

“Ah!” the Doctor said, taking a swig himself before setting the cup down on the table, head flopping back against the cushions, looking over at her.

“It’s an acronym,” he explained. “Teamwork, Academics, Respect, Determination, Integrity, Sportsmanship. It’s our club values.”

“Academics?”

“Mmm.” The Doctor nodded. “Tardis FC has two teams, our First team and a U21 team. They all train together in pre-season and then once the season picks up, they have separate practices. First team plays in League Two and and U21s play in the Youth Alliance.”

Rose listened intently, incredibly curious and wanting to learn as much as she could, after all these are the player’s she’s going to be training. It was easy enough to follow, but she was definitely not an expert on what these different leagues meant or where they were promoted or relegated to.

“We know that most of these lads will not have a long professional career in football. It’s just a fact. Some have gone on and done very well, but most don’t. It’s even more heartbreaking to see a talented player suddenly lose their career to an injury.

“So, when I started Tardis FC, I wanted to make sure these boys left with an education, another career in their back pocket. Yes, the focus was football, and many choose to get their degree in a football-related field, but the club would pay for their education and they were required to keep up with their studies or they’re out of the club.”

Rose finished her tea. “That makes a lot of sense actually. Do they still get paid as well?”

The Doctor shifted to face her a bit more, limbs shifting awkwardly. “Yep. Those at university get half-pay, the other half going directly to their schools, and when they get their degree, they get the normal full-pay.”

Rose smiled softly. “You really do care about these players don’t you?”

“I just don’t want them to go through what I went through,” he sighed. “This isn’t the most forgiving career path.”

The Doctor shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath before rocking forwards with a jolt.

“So, Rose Tyler, ready to get started?” he asked, suddenly chipper. “Got a lot of planning to do before Monday.”

Rose smiled. “Let’s get going.”


	6. Chapter 6

They poured over the stats from all forty players from previous seasons, their last four fitness tests, and the giant binder full of the ‘current’ training regimen. The Doctor started on filling out the master list, sifting through each player’s packet and recording their totals and bests, while Rose took a look at the binder, but not before having to blow some dust off the hard plastic cover.

“Is this seriously what you use?” she scoffed. “When did you last open this thing?”

The Doctor, sitting crosslegged on the floor, looked up over his thick glasses. “Hmm?”

Rose hadn’t noticed he’d put them on.

“Uh...ehm,” she stammered, mind suddenly blank except for how devastatingly attractive he looked right now.

“The binder?” he asked.

“Oh! Yes. That’s it. The binder. When did you last open it?”

He gave a little shrug. “Fifteen years ago maybe? I only really looked at it once.”

“It’s _ancient._ Seriously. It’s got formation calisthenics, from like WWII. I keep turning the pages and keep picturing some old black and white film with guys doing star jumps and toe touches, with some old timey piano music in the background.”

“Cheeky,” he smirked before scribbling something down on his list.

Rose tossed the binder on the coffee table and slid off the couch to take a seat next to the Doctor, grabbing a few player packets of her own and an extra master sheet.

“Alright, let’s see where these boys are at.”

The Doctor smiled at his paper, glancing briefly at her, before continuing with his work.

&&

They sifted for hours, player packet after player packet. Their sheets were finally full and the last player finished. All forty of them.

The Doctor ran his hands up his face, long fingers slipping beneath his glasses. Rose flopped down on the couch groaning.

“That took a while,” came the muffled sound from beneath a pillow.

“Yup,” the Doctor replied, popping the ‘p’. He glanced over to the cable box, yellow numbers glowing ‘8:43’. “Shit. It’s late. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you this long.”

Rose sat up checking the time for herself. _It really was late._

“No worries,” she smiled. “It went by quick.”

The Doctor stood, ruffling his hair. “Can I at least buy you dinner and walk you home? I still owe you for the chips. We can spend the day tomorrow coming up with the new plan now that the hard part’s done.”

She had to admit, it was a very tempting offer and her stomach was growling, but she was exhausted.

“I’m knackered and I’m afraid I’d fall asleep mid-conversation,” she replied.

The Doctor’s hopeful expression dropped.

“Tell you what though.” He perked up a bit at that. “You can get us lunch tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of work to get a program together for Monday. Deal?”

The Doctor grinned. “Deal.”

&&

Rose turned her key in the lock, the stairs reminding her and her legs just how much she ran today, as she shouldered the door open. She dropped her kit bag into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

“Hiya, mum!” she shouted.

Rose heard the telly turn off from the living room. Jackie came around the corner, in her signature pink dressing gown. She paused, leaning against the wall before giving Rose a warm smile.

“I see you’ve said ‘yes’ then?” she asked, noting her daughter’s new uniform.

Rose shyly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Yeah.”

“Well, come ‘ere then!” Jackie said pulling her daughter into a big hug. “I’m proud of you, Rose. It takes a lot of guts to try something new. You get that from your dad.”

Rose smiled, relieved that her mum wasn’t mad at her for saying ‘yes’ so soon. “Thanks, mum.”

Jackie ushered her in to have a seat and Rose obliged.

“Come on now. Tell me everything. Are they paying you alright? How long is your contract? When do you start?” she began, going a mile-a-minute.

“Slow down, mum,” Rose said, grabbing a bag of chips from her bag, leftovers from her quick dinner at the chippy on the way home. “Yes, they are paying me well. Well enough that we shouldn’t have to worry about bills or rent for awhile. Now, I know you don’t want me feeling like I _have to,_ but I _want to,_ mum. You’ve taken care of me all on your own for nineteen years and now I can help return the favor.”

Jackie just smiled, taking Rose’s hand, as Rose popped in a few warm chips, waiting for Rose to finish chewing.

“My contract runs ‘til the start of the regular season with a guaranteed extension, if I want it.”

Jackie opened her mouth to say something before Rose cut her off.

“And, no, it wasn’t a verbal promise, it’s written into my contract. I meet the lads on Monday, but am going back tomorrow to work on the training program with the Doctor. I have the feeling I’m going to be busy the next few weeks. That team is rough shape.”

“Well,” Jackie said, cupping her daughter’s face, “if anyone can do it, it’s my daughter.”

Rose smiled, her hand covering Jackie’s. “Thanks, mum.”

“Now, go get some rest. You look exhausted, love.”

“Night, mum. Love you,” Rose said giving Jackie a hug.

“Love you too, Rose.”

&&

Sunday went by quickly but definitely had no shortage of work to be done. The Doctor and Rose spent most of the morning in his office, huddled around the coffee table or sitting opposite each other on the couch, limbs absentmindedly intertwined in the middle. Neither of them seemed to mind the proximity, in fact they seemed to work better with it.

Thankfully, overall the boys were in equally rough shape, but that was just convenient for training not so much for the promise of this upcoming season. After taking a look at the stats, Rose guessed the squad would make it to the 75th-80th minute before being completely out of gas, which is a problem as there are 90 minutes to a game with only three substitutes.

Rose had devised a whole new warm-up routine that switched from static to mostly dynamic stretches and movements with three different variants to work into the rotation. The Doctor helped out with the more technical drills with Rose pointing out potential modifications to work in some more conditioning. They slashed distance runs, replacing them with various Fartlek sessions, and set a schedule alternating between conditioning days and slower technical skill days.

They were the perfect balance for each other. What the Doctor lacked in conditioning knowledge, Rose made up for, and where she had questions about technical skills, the Doctor had answers. By the time it was lunch, they had just finished the warm-up routines and conditioning days, also with three variations.

The Doctor ordered them a pizza from the nearby shop. Rose broke out the paper plates and napkins and they settled down on the sofa together, turning on the telly, just in time for the kick-off of a north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal.

Rose rolled her eyes. _Of course he would turn on a footy match, but that seemed so very him._

The first half was quite vocal from the two of them. Shouts of “that was _not_ a foul!” and “where was that ref even looking?” rang out between bites and arguments over missed/bad calls were settled by stealing the other’s current slice, leaving the other with no retort and no pizza.

However, Rose had never laughed harder than watching the Doctor get so animated about a game, especially between two teams she was sure he didn’t even support. He eventually got so into it that he got up from the couch and sat in front of the telly at the 40th minute, eyes glued to the screen like a toddler. He flopped onto his back dramatically as the Spurs shot wide of the goal in the first half stoppage time, going into the break 0-0.

“Alright, Rose,” he began, turning off the telly, still sprawled on the floor. “This game is driving me bonkers. What do you say about trying what we’ve got so far on the grounds?”

“Sounds good to me,” she laughed.

&&

Rose learned a lot that afternoon. The conditioning program didn’t need too much visiting. It was pretty simple: run, sprint, walk, jog, or rest, in various lengths and orders. It was the technical skills that the Doctor showed her, that really gave her a feel for Tardis’ level of play.

She’d played before and still does every now and then, but never at a professional level. The pacing was different and the focus wasn’t so much on developing those foot skills but rather maintaining them.

It felt a bit like the day before, physically, what with the Doctor running her through various drills, but today they were partners working together. He would explain the purpose of the drill and run through it with her, and she would give feedback and suggest to either cut it or add in an element somewhere that would add some additional fitness. Sometimes it was just increasing the distance between cones, other times it was adding a lateral jump or two over a pole before receiving a pass, but having the chance to run through them herself was incredibly helpful.

The Doctor and Rose collapsed on the field after he challenged her to wind sprints at the end. He should learn that challenging Rose Tyler to a race was something he was never going to win, but you can’t blame a bloke for trying.

Rose chuckled. “Still smells like apple grass.”

The Doctor smiled, still trying to catch his breath. “You ready for tomorrow?” he asked.

“As ready as I’m going to be,” she sighed. “I’ve never led a group like that before.”

“You’ll do great. You’re _brilliant_...and talented too, and the boys will respect that.”

She turned her head to look at him, hands resting on her stomach. “How do I do that? Get their respect, I mean.”

“Lead from the front. Never ask anything of them you wouldn’t do yourself,” he replied, turning to match her gaze. “You’ve seen the stats, you’re fitter than the whole team. Keeping up won’t be a problem. For them, maybe, but not for you.”

Rose laughed. “Oh, those results are not good are they?”

“No, no they are not,” he chuckled. “That’s why I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Really?” she asked turning onto her side.

“Rose.” The Doctor sat up. “I’ve learned more in the past two days with you than I have in the past two years. I am so happy you’re here.”

“Well, I hope I don’t disappoint,” she said, trying her best to hide a bit of a blush.

“You won’t. We’ll do this together, yeah?”

“Together,” she smiled.

The Doctor sprang to his feet holding out his hand to help Rose up.

“Now, go home and get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.” He nodded to the equipment littering the field. “I’ll take care of this mess. You can head home.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” she grinned, that tongue-touched grin.

“Yes ma’am,” he smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

To say she was nervous was an understatement. She’d never done anything like this before. She was a qualified physical trainer, yes, but this job was a far cry from anything she thought might come of that course.

The sense of local pride and hope and history radiated from the walls as she walked down the Tardis corridors, surrounded by their subtle logos and their navy, gold, and white scheme. Rose couldn’t help but be reminded of all those childhood memories at school; Mickey and his mates showing off their new tops for that season, games in the yard usually fighting over who got to play as Tardis FC, and Mickey, on more than one occasion, begging Rose to take the long way home with him so he could try and sneak a peek at their training.

She never really noticed those memories before. It’s not like she kept up with the current sporting events and news. Rose preferred to play. It also didn’t help when most of the lads around you talk about it. All. The. Time. It all clicked now and of course she knew what this club meant to the town and what this job meant to her. She was being trusted and she didn’t want to disappoint.

Rose had been so swept away in her thoughts that she almost walked right past her office. The Doctor had shown it to her briefly on their tour, but today it was adorned with a brand-new nameplate with a little logo on it: ‘Fitness Coach - Rose Tyler’

The room was basic but comfortable and definitely left her space to make it her own if she wanted to. Desk, shelves, a little sitting area, and she thought she spotted a mini-refrigerator in the back. Rose tossed her bag onto the small two-seater sofa, locked the door, and began to change into her new kit from her jeans and t-shirt. It’s not that she didn’t like wearing it out in public, but she didn’t feel part of the club yet to wear it that casually. She was new and it was going to take a little bit to settle in.

Rose had just slipped her top on when there was a knock at the door.

“Rose?”

It was the Doctor.

“Just a minute!” She chimed, hopping over to the door and turning the handle.

The Doctor stood in the doorway, tugging at his neck, already dressed in his Tardis blue kit and boots, clearly a bit embarrassed that he caught her in the middle of something.

“Come on in,” she said. “I’ve just got to put my boots on.”

The Doctor took a seat across from her as Rose took a sat down on the sofa. Rose’s fingers fumbled a bit with the laces and the Doctor noticed.

“Nervous?” he asked softly.

Rose looked up beneath the fringe resulted from her ponytail. “A bit, yeah.”

“You’re going to be fine. The session goes quick and I’ll be there as your training assistant, right next to you. Are we doing conditioning today?”

Rose finished with her boots and flipped through her training print-outs. “Yeah. Today, Wednesday, and Friday.”

“Brilliant! Conditioning is your strong suit anyways. I hate to admit it, but you’ve got me beat in that department, Rose Tyler. Just remember a session is organic. Read the players and get a feel for how it’s going and don’t be afraid to change things on the fly. Especially now, any conditioning is better than where they are now.”

“Very true,” she replied with a soft laugh. “You’re pretty good at this pep talk stuff aren’t you?”

“Well,” he said with a chuckle, “I have been managing this team for a while. Hopefully, something positive has come of that. So, Rose Tyler, what do you need from me?”

Rose felt her breathing stop and her heartbeat quicken at the question. She knew what he meant, but that was not where her mind decided to go. She’d be lying if she hadn’t thought about it, but not now. Not now. She awkwardly flipped through her pages and eventually pulled out the fitness rankings sheet.

“When we get out there, I’m going to need you pair them up by speed. It’s going to take me awhile to learn their names and there is forty of them. What time is it?”

The Doctor glanced at his watch. “We’ve got five minutes, but the lads are already out on the pitch.”

“I guess we better get going then.”

Rose stood collecting her papers and attaching them to her clipboard and followed the Doctor out to the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

“Have everything?” he asked.

“Yup,” she grinned.

They walked down the hall to the tunnel, pausing at the top of the stairs. They could hear the chatter of the boys echoing down towards them off the walls.

“Ready?” he asked.

Rose held out her hand, mimicking what has become his signature gesture, and he took it with a contented smile and without hesitating.

“Ready,” she replied.

&&

They walked hand-in-hand down the shady tunnel, studs click-clacking on the cement floor, only breaking their grip as they jogged out to meet their squad.

“Alright, lads,” the Doctor called, “circle ‘round.”

Rose stood as relaxed as she could make herself, hands grasped behind her back, as she took a look at the forty different faces dressed in matching kits. The Doctor began his introduction.

“Right, so as you can see, we’ve got a new member of our training staff. This is Rose Tyler and she’s our new Fitness Coach because you lot certainly need it. Our fitness is far from where it should be. We’ve looked at your evaluations and as of right now, we’re only going to make it to the 80th minute at best. That’s not good, is it?”

“No, coach,” came the mumbled response of Tardis FC.

“We’ve got five weeks until our first friendly of the season and annual derby against Millwall. I’m not sure about you, but I would enjoy showing everyone who’s the best club of south-east London.”

His last line was met with a chorus of cheers.

“If that is something you want, there is a lot of work to be done until then. I believe Rose Tyler can help us achieve that. Rose?”

The Doctor nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

“Right,” she began, every wordless second feeling like an eternity with forty unconvinced eyes locked on to her every move.

“I’m here to train  _with you_  and make you better players,” she continued. “I will never ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do, and during conditioning days, I will be running every yard  _with you_ _._ ”

As she spoke the words seemed to become easier and easier to say, the point of her speech became clearer and clearer, and the knot in her stomach seemed to unwind.

“I will be giving 100% of myself to our practices. I expect the same from you, and you should expect the same from each other. Give your best and you’ll see results. Anything less is disrespectful to the staff, your teammates, and the club. Fair enough?”

“Yes, coach,” came the haphazard but mostly unified reply.

“For the next three weeks, Monday, Wednesday, Friday will be conditioning. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be tactical sessions. That will switch during the last two weeks leading up to Millwall. We’ve made some changes to the types of drills you might be used to but I will be going through them with you. Feel free to ask questions about why we made the change if you are interested.

“We are going to start every practice session with a Last Man Run followed by a warm-up circuit and dynamic stretching before getting into the specifics for that day. Right, you ready to get started?”

“Yes, coach.”

The Doctor started calling off names and pairing the lads up until they had twenty pairs of players lined up on the sideline. He handed Rose the paper to put down with her clipboard.

“That was brilliant,” he said quietly, with a very proud smile on his face.

“Yeah?” Rose asked, relieved.

“Oh, yes! And now comes the easy part.”

The Doctor and Rose took their spots at the front of the line. The Doctor subtly nodding for Rose to take the lead.

“Right, you should all have done this before. This is a warm-up so we are going to jog slow, stay as a group. When I say go, the last men run on the outside to the front of the group. Run, not sprint. Don’t be so excited to sprint. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for that later.”

The group mostly chuckled at that, along with a couple of whines from some of the new lads to the club.

“Allons-y!” the Doctor yelled, and they were off.

&&

Rose’s first training session went off nearly without a hitch. The squad seemed to respond well to her running the drills with them. When they did shuttle runs, she was in the first group. When they did Fartleks, she ran with the slowest group, encouraging them. When they strapped on a running parachute, so did she… as well as the Doctor.

The Doctor was not so used to being that involved with the conditioning program, but was more than happy to push himself if it meant supporting Rose. While the manager and still pretty fit, he was still laughing and limping off the field like the rest of the team at the end of the day.

The Doctor jogged over and collapsed on the bench, tossing a wet towel on his face with an exasperated sigh.

“Tired?” Rose asked.

“And I thought you put me through my paces over the weekend,” he replied, winking over the hem of the towel where it half-rested on his face.

“You did pretty good for your age,” she teased.

“Oi-” The Doctor was about to retort when he was interrupted.

“Coach Tyler?”

Rose spun around to see a group of the team, mostly older ones by the looks of them, standing behind her. The first boy of the group extended his hand.

“We just wanted to say thank you for a good session. We haven’t felt a burn like that in a while. No offense, Doctor.”

“None taken,” he replied with a laugh, towel around his neck and sitting up now.

“Welcome to Tardis FC, ma’am,” the boy continued.

“Thank you and you’re welcome,” she smiled, shaking each of the lad’s hands as they moved down the line, and clasping them briefly on the shoulder.

The veterans jogged down the tunnel after the rest of the team, leaving only the Doctor and Rose on the pitch.

“I’d say today was a success,” he said.

Rose stood there, stunned, eventually turning to look at him as he sat on the bench. “I… wasn’t expecting that.”

The Doctor just beamed back at her. He was so proud of her.

Rose blushed. “What?”

“Rose, you were brilliant today.” She opened her mouth to speak but he continued before she could say a word. “I mean that. Honestly, I do. You’re a natural at this.”

“Really?”

“Rose,” he began, pointing to the tunnel. “I think the fact the older lads came over on your first day says it all, don’t you?”

“Guess so,” she said, managing a shy smile. Today did feel good, she had to admit.

“I’d say congratulations are in order.”

The Doctor rose from the bench and made his way over to where she was standing, this time it was him who offered his hand first.

“Oh?” she replied, cocking an eyebrow, glancing down at his wiggling fingers.

“Chippy? and this time I make sure to bring my wallet?”

Rose took his hand pulling herself against his shoulder, the Doctor playfully pushing back.

“Deal.”


End file.
